January 2020

REMS TA Training Coming to Paducah We would like to invite you to attend a free training opportunity that KDE is offering in partnership with the

Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center. We would also

like to invite your law enforcement and mental health partners to attend this training and would appreciate if

you could forward the registration information to any interested partner. EILA credit and social worker

CEUs are available for both sessions. Registration is open. Both sessions will be held at the Paducah Convention Center; 415 Park Street; Paducah, KY. The trainings being offered include:

March 12 – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm CDT (Registration begins at 7:30 am) School Behavioral Threat Assessments: An Introduction (Train the Educator) introduces participants to

various components of school behavioral threat assessments, which were originally put forth by the Safe

School Initiative (SSI), alongside new information and guidance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation

(FBI). Participants will learn about effective characteristics of threat assessments for consideration when

forming their own approach and team. Specialized topics will also be addressed, such as the use of social

media in threat assessments. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss concepts in small group

discussions and practice a basic threat assessment in a tabletop exercise. Register for this training

session online. Registration for this event closes on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 5:00 pm EDT.

March 13 – 8:00 am – 3:00 pm CDT (Registration begins at 7:30 am)

Resilience Strategies for Educators: Techniques for Self-Care and Peer Support (Train the Educator)

training is designed to provide educators with a better understanding of resilience strategies that can be

used to increase their ability to work more effectively with students impacted by stress, loss, and trauma

brought on by community or family violence, natural and man-made disasters, and economic hardship.

Participants will leave the training with the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to implement

personally. Register for this training session online. Registration for this event closes on Wednesday,

March 11, 2020 at 5:00 pm EDT.

Save the Date: 2020 Persistence to Graduation Summit The Division of Student Success will be hosting the 2020 Persistence to Graduation Summit July 8-9 at the Griffin Gate Marriot in Lexington, KY. Topics will include well-rounded educational opportunities, safe and supportive learning environments, effective use of education technology, student transition and re-engagement strategies, and alternative education. Registration and program information is forthcoming.

Kids Count! The 2019 Kentucky KIDS COUNT County Data Book has been released. Kentucky Youth Advocates produces the report which offers the latest data on 17 measures of child well-being, showing whether outcomes for children have improved, worsened or stayed the same over a five-year period. Educators and policymakers can use this data to aid in decision making as they plan for how to help the youth of our state be successful. This year’s data shows that four percent of Kentucky children are considered homeless, which is a troubling statistic that impacts education. Detailed data is available for every Kentucky county.

Update District Contacts Districts must check and update, if necessary, the name of the district contacts listed in Person Role Manager for their district to ensure the correct person receives communication from KDE in a timely manner. This process includes adding new staff, as well as removing staff no longer working with the specified program. It is best practice for these changes to be handled by the district WAAPOC.

To change or verify contacts for your district, follow these instructions:

Verify district contacts by selecting district on the Open House website. If a contact role is blank or incorrect, the update must be made in Person Role Manager via KDE Web

Applications. For contacts who are listed but no longer should be, their Role Status must be changed to “inactive” and a

Role End Date entered via KDE Web Applications | Person Role Manager. To add a contact, the Role Status must be set to “active” and a Role Start Date entered. Also ensure an email

address is entered on the demographic screen. This should be done via KDE Web Applications | Person Role Manager as well.

New REMS Webinars and Resources The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center has published a number of archived webinars that you might find useful.

“Managing Memorials and Anniversaries as a Part of Overall School and Higher Safety Planning” Experts discuss why schools should develop a trauma-informed approach to planning and to share lessons learned about memorializing anniversaries.

“A Discussion of the Role of School Resource Officers in School Safety and a Review of the Averted School Violence Database” Presenters discuss the roles of SROs and the role of their respective offices in supporting education agencies with safety issues. The recently released report, A Comparison of Averted and Completed School Attacks from the National Police Foundation Averted School Violence Database is also discussed.

“Integrating Drills and Exercises into Overall School Emergency Management Planning” This webinar provides an overview of the National Exercise Division (NED) and a description of general resources and tools available to support education agencies with planning for and executing drills as a part of overall emergency operations plan development.

“Trauma-Informed Care for Schools Before, During, and After Possible Emergency Events” In this webinar, presenters provide an overview of trauma and re-traumatization, discuss manifestations of trauma in students, explore a trauma-informed approach, and review considerations for preparedness planning and how schools can address trauma in their emergency operations plans.

“Understanding the New FERPA Guidance for Security Staff from the U.S. Department of Education” This one-hour Webinar includes a description of FERPA; provides considerations for properly sharing information with partners to protect the school community; presents the more commonly posed questions with responses and examples; and discusses the importance of understanding FERPA when developing comprehensive school emergency operations plans (EOPs).

Your Safe Schools Team: Victoria Fields (502) 564-4772, ext. 4015 • Rae Burgess (502) 564-4772, ext. 4019 • Doug Roberts (502) 564-4772, ext. 4055